Perform a File Autopsy

Remember the television show Quincy? Jack Klugman played a Los Angeles medical examiner, and in every episode, his autopsy would reveal that the decedent (who’d seemingly died of “natural” causes) was a victim of foul play. Using the clues he’d gained from his examinations, Quincy would convince the police a homicide had occurred, and then manage to singlehandedly finger the killer. In a pre-CSI world, it was pretty compelling stuff.

So why all this talk about an obscure 70’s crime-drama? Because if you’re really interested in identifying the work you love to do and learning how to serve your clients better, you may want to spend some time each week playing Quincy. Instead of investigating foul play, however, you should closely examine those things you’ve given up for dead in your office: your closed files.

Perform a File Autopsy. Here’s how:

1. Grab at least five old files that have been closed for at least a year. Though you can choose files randomly, it works better if you’ve take some you liked and others you’d rather never touch again.

2. For each file, complete the LexThink File Autopsy (pdf) form. Be brutally honest with yourself as you answer questions, which include:

About the file:

In hindsight, should I have taken this file?

Were there any “red flags” I should have noticed?

What lessons did I learn from handling this file?

About the work:

Did I like the work?

Was I good at it? How could I have been better?

If I didn’t like the work, how could I do less of it?

About the client:

Does this client have any other legal work I could be doing?

How would this client describe me to their peers?

How could I have served this client better?

About the money:

Was this a profitable matter for me to handle?

Did the client feel my fees were fair?

How could I have priced this matter differently?

3. Every week, grab a few more files and repeat the exercise. If you have staff, ask for their input as well.

4. If you’re seeing common themes (either positive or negative) throughout the files, make sure to note them as well.

5. Once you’ve performed 20-50 “autopsies,” you’ll have a better sense of the kinds of work you like to do, clients you enjoy serving and alternative ways to price your services. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll understand the kinds of work you don’t want to do and learn to avoid taking matters and clients better passed on to your competition.